254 
snittee—-The encouraging the desired discovery by proper 
premiums ; and the exertions of private associations .r— 
With respect to premiums, the committee considered them 
highly useful so far as they might indicate the estimation of 
the importance that would be attached to the discovery.-— 
In almost any other view they considered them altogether 
unavailing. No person, it was supposed, who might be 
qualified to make the proper investigations, would under¬ 
take a business where the expense would be so great and 
certain, and the reward trilling and doubtful: especially 
when the mine itself (a far greater reward) might be the 
property of another.—The committee did not entertain any 
more sanguine expectations from the exertions of private 
companies. Such associations, it was considered, though 
they might be necessary in working mines to advantage, 
were but ill calculated to make discoveries. The self in¬ 
terest on which they are founded would hardly exert itself 
in making expensive researches where the chief benefit of 
the discovery would flow to the public and to the proprietors 
of the soil. In the opinion of the committee, the only alter¬ 
native was to trust to chance for making a discovery so im» 
portant, or to resort to disinterested liberality for defraying 
the expense necessarily attendant o,n making the proper re¬ 
searches for effecting it. 
The report above referred to was unanimously accepted 
by the society, and in pursuance of it another committee 
was appointed “ to endeavor to procure the requisite pecu¬ 
niary aid, and, in concert with the donors, to employ some 
suitable persons to make the necessary investigations.” 
This committee have determined to direct their first at¬ 
tention to the districts of country in the vicinity of the Hud¬ 
son ; and to carry the object of their appointment into ef¬ 
fect, they have thought it proper to apply in this instance 
for pecuniary assistance to the corporations of the cities and 
villages along its banks. The common council of the city 
of Albany have generously offered a reward of one thou- 
